Ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances

ABSTRACT

An ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances of the type comprising a freezer compartment ( 1 ), in whose interior is provided a support means ( 10 ) carrying at least one pair of median rails ( 30 ) on which is slidingly and detachably seated at least one ice mold ( 60 ). According to the present invention, the support means ( 10 ) carries at least one pair of upper rails ( 20 ) on which is slidingly and detachably seated a reservoir ( 50 ) which is dimensioned to contain, when completely full, a volume of water corresponding to that required for adequately supplying the ice molds ( 60 ) disposed immediately below, said reservoir ( 50 ) being inferiorly provided with a discharge nozzle ( 55 ), positioned above the ice mold ( 60 ) immediately below and in which is mounted an outlet valve ( 56 ) which is constantly and resiliently forced to a closed position and automatically displaced to an open position when the reservoir ( 50 ) is mounted in the support means ( 10 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a system to facilitate the filling ofthe ice molds provided in the freezer compartment of a refrigerationappliance, generally a combined refrigerator comprising a freezercompartment and a refrigeration compartment, which are separated by anintermediary wall and closed by respective front doors.

PRIOR ART

There are known from the state of art different systems for mounting theice molds inside the freezer compartment of a refrigeration appliance.

In some of these arrangements, the ice molds are simply placed on ashelf or on the bottom of the freezer compartment.

In other constructions, the ice molds take the form of compartments thatslide on rails affixed to the internal structure of the freezercompartment.

There are also known the arrangements in which the ice molds arerotatably seated on frames sliding on rails provided in the structure ofthe freezer compartment, in order to be rotated around theirlongitudinal axis and preferably submitted to a certain torsion uponcompletion of the rotation of about 90°, in order to release the load ofice cubes inside an ice cube collecting box which is also slidinglyseated on rails and positioned under the ice molds. An arrangement ofthis type is described in Brazilian patent documents PI960391-9 andPI9603902-7.

Independently of the characteristics of the prior art arrangementsconcerning the procedures for removing the ice cubes from the molds andfor storing said ice cubes inside the freezer compartment, the prior artmounting systems require the ice molds to be manually supplied,generally outside the freezer compartment, and to be subsequentlycarried to be positioned in the determined place, which can be definedby a shelf or by rails inside the freezer compartment. This operation ofsupplying the ice molds is uncomfortable, often resulting in waterspillage or in said molds being only partially filled. Furthermore, inthe cases in which the water supply is effected outside the freezercompartment, the user has to carefully carry it to the mounting place,trying to avoid the frequent and almost inevitable water spillage.

Besides the deficiency mentioned above, these known mounting systems aredefined in the project, not allowing the user to modify theiroperational characteristics, as a function of the usage particularitiesto be imparted to the ice molds. The known mounting systems are notversatile, forcing the user to utilize the molds according to a singlepattern defined by the manufacturer.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

By reason of the disadvantages mentioned above, it is a generic objectof the present invention to provide an ice mold supply system forrefrigeration appliances, which promotes a correct, reliable andautomatic supply, with no water spillage, of the molds with an adequatevolume of water, when said molds are already positioned in theirmounting places inside a freezer compartment, and which allows the icemolds to be manually and selectively rotated in their mounting places,in order to gravitationally release the ice cubes to the interior of acollecting box which can be detached from the inside of the freezercompartment.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In order to comply with the object above, the invention provides an icemold supply system for refrigeration appliances of the type comprising afreezer compartment, in whose interior is provided a support means,carrying at least one pair of median rails on which is slidingly anddetachably seated at least one ice mold.

According to the invention, the support means carries at least one pairof upper rails, on which is slidingly and detachably seated a reservoirwhich is dimensioned to contain, when completely full, a volume of watercorresponding to that required for adequately supplying the ice moldsdisposed immediately below, said reservoir being inferiorly providedwith a discharge nozzle, positioned above the ice mold immediately belowand in which is mounted an outlet valve which is constantly andresiliently forced to a closed position and automatically displaced toan open position when the reservoir is mounted to the support means.

In a preferred constructive form, the ice mold has its opposite endshorizontally rotatably seated on a frame which is slidingly anddetachably seated on one of the pairs of median rails and upper rails,the ice mold being manually rotated around its longitudinal axis from arest position, for freezing the volume of water supplied therein, to aninclined position for gravitationally releasing the ice cubes and inwhich the ice mold is submitted to a certain torsion.

The support means may further incorporate, particularly by applying theabove-mentioned construction that uses rotatable ice molds, at least onepair of lower rails on which is slidingly and detachably seated an icecube collecting box which is disposed immediately below at least one icemold, in order to receive the ice cubes that are gravitationallyreleased from an ice mold, which can be the one disposed immediatelyabove which is displaced to the inclined position and submitted to acertain degree of torsion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below, with reference to the encloseddrawings, given only by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the present supply system inan embodiment operatively associated with a sliding frame carrying apair of ice molds and with a lower collecting box;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the assembly illustrated in FIG. 1when mounted in the freezer compartment of a partially illustratedrefrigerator;

FIG. 3 is a median longitudinal vertical sectional view of the assemblyillustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a reservoir of the present supplysystem; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of the supply system illustrated inFIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated, the present supply system is applied to refrigerationappliances of the type comprising a freezer compartment 1, which can bedefined in the upper portion of a cabinet, in whose lower portion isformed a refrigeration compartment 2, as exemplarily illustrated andwhich is separated from the freezer compartment 1 by an intermediarywall 3.

The supply system of the invention comprises a support means 10, whichcan take the form of a frame made of injected plastic, presenting across section in the form of an inverted “U”, and having an upper wall11 from which vertically depend two opposite lateral walls 12, thelongitudinal extension of said frame being dimensioned so as to bemounted inside the freezer compartment 1.

The support means 10 carries, internally and along the extension of itslateral walls 12, a pair of upper rails 20, two pairs of median rails30, and a pair of lower rails 40, said pairs of rails being disposed inhorizontal planes that are vertically spaced from each other by acertain gap.

It should be understood that the distribution of the pairs of railsmentioned above is illustrated only exemplarily, and that otherarrangements with a different number of pairs of rails could be used, aslong as they allow defining at least an upper level, a median level, anda lower level for supporting the elements to be described ahead.

The rails may be constructed in different manners, as separated piecesaffixed to the support means 10, or as pieces incorporated to thelateral walls 12 of the support means 10.

In a constructive form according to FIG. 5, on the pair of upper rails20 is slidingly and detachably seated a reservoir 50 which isdimensioned to contain, when filled up, a volume of water correspondingto that required for adequately supplying an ice mold 60 disposedimmediately below, as described below.

The reservoir 50, which is generally molded in plastic material,comprises: a body 51 in the form of a tray that is slidingly seated onthe pair of upper rails 20, a lid 52 in the form of a plate to behermetically and detachably mounted to the body 51, in order to definean upper wall for the latter; and a small overlid 53 provided in the lid52 and which is manually operated between an open position, for fillingthe reservoir 50, and a closed position, hermetically enclosing thevolume of water inside the reservoir 50.

The overlid 53 is constructed in such a way as to facilitate the fillingof the reservoir 50 and to provide the user with a visual indication ofthe water level to be reached for the adequate supply of a respectiveice mold 60.

The reservoir 50 is inferiorly provided with a discharge nozzle 55 to bepositioned, upon mounting the reservoir 50 to the support means 10,above a respective ice mold 60 immediately below, and in the dischargenozzle 55 is mounted an outlet valve 56 which is constantly andresiliently forced to a closed position and automatically displaced toan open position upon mounting the reservoir 50 in the support means 10.

It should be understood that the outlet valve 56 could be constructed tobe opened only as a function of a specific operation made by the user,after the reservoir 50 has been correctly positioned inside the supportmeans 10. In this case, the opening of the outlet valve 56 is notautomatic.

In the embodiment in which the automatic opening of the outlet valve 56is provided, the latter incorporates an actuating rod 57 disposed underthe reservoir 50 and which is designed to interfere with the supportmeans 10, generally with the closest upper rail 20, in order to actuatethe outlet valve 56 when the reservoir 50 is introduced in the supportmeans 10, promoting the displacement of the outlet valve 56 to the openposition (see FIG. 3) and the consequent supply of the ice mold 60disposed immediately below.

In the illustrated construction, the body 51 of the reservoir 50 ismedianly divided in two body portions 51 a, 51 b, each incorporating adischarge nozzle 55 provided with an outlet valve 56 positioned abovethe respective ice mold.

The construction described above for the reservoir 50 is employed when,under the latter, two ice molds 60 are positioned side by side, eachhaving its opposite ends horizontally rotatably seated on a frame 70which is slidingly and detachably seated on at least one of the twopairs of median rails 30. Thus, each ice mold 60 can be rotated aroundits longitudinal axis, from a rest position, for freezing the watervolume supplied therein, to an inclined position, for gravitationallyreleasing the ice cubes and in which the ice mold 60 is submitted to acertain torsion.

It should be understood that the frame 70 can rotatably support only oneice mold 60, in which situation the body 51 of the reservoir 50 can beformed in a single piece provided with one or more discharge nozzles 55,each having a respective outlet valve 56.

Still in accordance with FIG. 5, the pair of lower rails 40 slidinglyand detachably support an ice cube collecting box 80 which remains in amounted condition, disposed immediately below the ice mold or molds 60which are rotatably seated on the frame 70 in order to receive the icecubes being gravitationally released from the ice molds 60 when thelatter are rotated to the inclined position.

1. An ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances of the typecomprising a freezer compartment (1), in whose interior is provided asupport means (10) carrying at least one pair of median rails (30), onwhich is slidingly and detachably seated at least one ice mold (60),characterized in that the support means (10) carries at least one pairof upper rails (20), on which is slidingly and detachably seated areservoir (50) which is dimensioned to contain, when completely full, avolume of water corresponding to that required for adequately supplyingthe ice molds (60) disposed immediately below, said reservoir (50) beinginferiorly provided with a discharge nozzle (55), positioned above theice mold (60) immediately below and in which is mounted an outlet valve(56) which is constantly and resiliently forced to a closed position andautomatically displaced to an open position when the reservoir (50) ismounted in the support means (10).
 2. The system as set forth in claim1, characterized in that the support means (10) further incorporates atleast one pair of lower rails (40) on which is slidingly and detachablyseated an ice cube collecting box (80) disposed immediately below atleast one ice mold (60).
 3. The system as set forth in claim 1,characterized in that the ice mold (60) has its opposite endshorizontally rotatably seated on a frame (70) which is slidingly anddetachably seated on at least one of the pairs of median rails (30) andupper rails (20), in order to be manually rotated around itslongitudinal axis from a rest position, for freezing the volume of watersupplied therein, to an inclined position, for gravitationally releasingthe ice cubes and in which the ice mold (60) is submitted to a certaintorsion.
 4. The system as set forth in claim 3, characterized in thatthe support means (10) carries: at least one pair of upper rails (20)supporting the reservoir (50), at least one pair of median rails (30)carrying a frame (70) on which is rotatably seated at least one manuallyrotatable ice mold (60); and at least one pair of lower rails (40)supporting the collecting box (80).
 5. The system as set forth in claim1, characterized in that the reservoir (50) comprises: a body (51) inthe form of a tray seated on at least one pair of upper rails (20) ofthe support means (10); a lid (52) which is detachably and hermeticallymounted onto the body (51), in order to define an upper wall of thelatter; and an overlid (53), provided on the lid (52) and which isdisposed in such a way as to allow supplying the reservoir and visuallyindicating the adequate supply of the respective ice mold (60), theoutlet valve (56) being mounted to a lower wall of the reservoir (50).6. The system as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that the outletvalve (56) incorporates an actuating rod (57) which is designed so as tointerfere with the support means (10) when the reservoir (50) is mountedin the support means (10), in order to provoke the displacement of theoutlet valve (56) to the open position and the consequent supply of theice mold (60) disposed immediately below.
 7. The system as set forth inclaim 5, characterized in that the body (51) of the reservoir (50) ismedianly divided in two body portions (51 a, 51 b), each incorporating adischarge nozzle (55) which is provided with an outlet valve (56)positioned above a respective ice mold (60), with the opposite endsthereof being horizontally rotatably seated on a frame (70) which isslidingly and detachably seated on at least one pair of median rails(30) of the support means (10).
 8. The system as set forth in claim 1,characterized in that the support means (10) comprises a frame with across section in the form of an inverted “U”, with its lateral walls(12) internally affixing the pairs of upper rails (20), median rails(30), and lower rails (40), and with its upper wall (11) being attachedagainst an upper wall of the freezer compartment (1).